


On the Line

by Perpetual Motion (perpetfic)



Category: Law & Order
Genre: M/M, post-ep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-16
Updated: 2010-01-16
Packaged: 2017-10-06 08:20:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perpetfic/pseuds/Perpetual%20Motion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack's first 2,000 signatures, and his first political decision.</p>
            </blockquote>





	On the Line

**Author's Note:**

> Slightly post-ep for 19.5, but all you need to know is that Jack's running for DA, and Mikey signed the top line.

Mike walks to Connie’s office, closes the door, sits on her couch, and announces—with a grin sliding across his face—“He’s running.”

Connie looks up from her computer, her fingers only stilling on her keyboard when she gets a good look at Mike’s grin. “He’s not,” but there’s a smile starting on her own face.

“Just signed the first line,” Mike says. He holds up a folder. “And I snagged some blank sheets from Marilyn on my way out. She promises to distract Jack from calling around for signatures for the next twenty-four hours. After that and we’re on our own.”

Connie holds out a hand. “Gimmie half. I’ll start with the receptionists and assistants. You call Van Buren and see if she wants to help.”

“On it.” Mike stands up and hands Connie half the sheets. He’s got a hand on the doorknob when Connie says,

“What about you two?”

Mike presses his thumb against a raised line of the doorknob. “Some people are meant to be who they are, even if they get there by accident. Jack needs to be the DA, even if he tries to act like it’s more of a hassle than he likes.”

“But you two—”

“There are other offices,” Mike says, still looking at the doorknob, “and other cities I can get to by train if I’m more liability than is strictly necessary.”

Connie’s ready to say something about how Jack is really his own liability and then some, but Mike leaves before she can say a word. “Idiot,” she says under her breath.

*

“He finally decided, huh?” Van Buren leans back in her chair and chuckles under her breath. “I’ll be damned.”

“You’re not the only one who’s shocked,” Mike says and sits across from her. “I thought I was going to fall over.”

“Cragen owes me twenty bucks,” Van Buren says with a smile. “He didn’t think Jack would go through with it.”

“He’s met him, right?”

Van Buren gives a full-out laugh. “My thoughts exactly.” She straightens up and puts her hands on her desk. “Of course, I’m assuming you’re here for more than the good news.”

Mike grins and reaches into his attaché case. “Can’t get anything past you, Lieutenant.” He holds up a handful of the petition forms he’d gotten from Marilyn. “Jack needs 10,000 signatures. I was thinking it’d be a good start to ask you and your detectives to sign your names if you’d like. Show Jack he’s closer to keeping that office than he thinks.”

“Let me see those,” Van Buren says and pulls her reading glasses off the top of her head. She reads the paragraph explaining that reason for the petition, then she picks up a pen and signs on the top line. “I’ll get it passed around, Mr. Cutter. Not everyone out there is a friend of Jack, but they all know how hard he works.”

“I figured that might be the case.” Mike stands and picks up his attaché case with his left hand. He holds out his right to Van Buren. “I appreciate the help.”

“So do we,” Van Buren assures him and shakes his hand. “Headed to SVU?”

“I think I can just catch Cragen before he heads out for the night.”

“Remind him about that twenty bucks.”

Mike grins. “I will.”

*

“Marilyn,” Jack calls as he steps out of his office, “have you seen the copies of the petition I asked for?”

“I put them on your desk in a file folder,” Marilyn says without looking away from her typing. “I told you I would.”

“I don’t doubt your memory,” Jack assures her, “I’m doubting mine. I honestly can’t remember seeing the folder on my desk at all today.”

“You probably filed it away with your case work.”

“Hell, probably.” Jack turns back towards his office. “And I’ve been in every cabinet in there today.”

“You’ll find it,” Marilyn calls over her shoulder, a grin breaking free. “These things have a way of turning up.”

“I’ll stop looking,” Jack calls back, “and it’ll be right in front of my face.”

*

Connie walks into Mike’s office the next morning and hands him her portion of the petition sheets. “Nearly lost my hand when I walked into the break room.”

Mike flips through the pages. Every single line has a signature on it. “Hot damn.”

Connie grins. “I was pretty impressed, too.” She points to the last line on the last page. “I figured, if you got to go first, I should get to go last.”

“I was gonna make sure you got a quality spot,” Mike tells her as he pulls out his own sheets. “Courtesy of Van Buren and Cragen to start. Apparently, we’ll be getting a courier’s envelope sometime today sent from a few other Lieutenants as well.”

“We’re going to be buying drinks into the next decade.” Connie flips through Mike’s sheets and grins at him. “Any word from Marilyn?”

“Jack spent a good portion of yesterday checking his file cabinets. He wouldn’t let Marilyn make new copies because he was sure he could find the originals.”

Connie laughs and hands back the sheaf. “You might want to go give him the news before he destroys his office.”

Mike stands and slips into his suit coat. “I suppose I should.” He rattles the papers into a manageable pile and gives Connie a smile. “Thanks, by the way.”

“You’re welcome,” she says, and pats him on the back on his way out the door.

*

Jack stares at the collection of papers when Mike drops it on his desk. “What is this?”

“Two thousand signatures to start you off right,” Mike explains. “And a few hundred more should be here by late afternoon. Hope you don’t mind, Connie and I thought we’d help you get started on the name gathering.”

“I see.” Jack skims the sheets, pausing occasionally to smile at one name or another. “So, I’m not actually becoming senile.”

“Yeah, about that, don’t be too hard on Marilyn.”

Jack looks at Mike and smirks. “I’ll do my best.” He flips to a new page and shakes his head. “I can’t believe this.”

“You’ve been here, what, twenty-four years? You’ve made friends, Jack.” Mike waves off the knowing look Jack gives him. “Read that thing line by line, and you may be surprised whose names show up. Your enemies list might get shortened after this.”

“I can’t believe this,” Jack repeats. He turns over the last page and takes off his reading glasses. “Connie came to talk to me last night,” he says conversationally.

“Oh?” Mike straightens up in his chair. “What about?”

“Thoughts on you trying to get transferred,” Jack says. “I told her I’d make sure to talk to you about what a ridiculously stupid idea it was.”

“Jack,” Mike says with an edge, “I won’t sit here and jeopardize your chances at this. You need to be DA. For the good of the city.”

“For the good of the city, I need you here,” Jack argues. “And I plan to keep calling you on your bullshit, no matter what I do to you in my off hours.”

Mike tries to scowl, but it falls into a smirk without his permission. “If this hits the papers, I’m claiming sexual harassment.”

“Be my guest,” Jack says and holds up the papers. “You’re the first signature on the list. Whatever will the jury think?”

“Coercion,” Mike responds. “Extortion. If I didn’t sign the very top line, you’d fire me.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m a bad, bad man,” Jack sings off-key.

Mike gives in and laughs. “I don’t even know why I try. You’ve slept with how many of your colleagues?”

“Enough,” Jack says and drops the papers into a file in his desk. “Just enough.”

“Careful,” Mike warns, “that could be considered affectionate.”

“Maybe,” Jack agrees. “But if that’s affection, what’s 2000 signatures?”

Mike looks away from Jack. He gives a shrug that’s not quite casual enough. “Slavish devotion to the cause.”

“Sure.” Jack stands and walks over to Mike. He waits for Mike to look him in the eyes. “Thank you.” He smiles and touches Mike’s sleeve. “For all of it.”

“You’re welcome,” Mike replies, pressing his arm against Jack’s fingers. “For all of it.”


End file.
